Amazon reveals what one of America’s first modular nuclear reactors will look like

To meet its massive energy demand for its AI and cloud services, Amazon is investing in nuclear power as a cleaner option. After signing deals to help build nuclear power projects last year, the tech giant revealed plans for an upcoming small modular reactor, or SMR, in Richland, Washington. Amazon is working with Energy Northwest, Washington state’s utility agency, and X-energy, an SMR developer, to build the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility.

The SMR has a smaller footprint than traditional nuclear reactors, but will still offer a modular design that can produce up to 960 megawatts of power. Amazon plans to help develop four SMRs in the first phase of the Cascade facility, which will provide an initial electrical capacity of 320 megawatts. After that, the installation has the option to expand to 12 units for maximum energy production. According to Amazon, construction on the project will begin before the end of the decade, while operations are expected to begin in the 2030s.

Amazon isn’t the only big tech company relying on nuclear energy to power its AI operations. In October last year, Google partnered with a nuclear power company called Kairos Power to build seven SMRs in the United States. A month later, Meta also sought to build a nuclear-powered AI data center, but reportedly faced the discovery of a rare species of bee that delayed its plans.